Ceiling-suspended stair



Jan. 1, 1952 B, J, TmLLER 2,580,978

CEILING-SUSPENDED STAIR Filed NOV. 19, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l (fl-rTor-'LNELY/ a. J. TRILLER CEILING-SUSPENDED STA-1R Jan, 1, 1952 2. SHEETS-SHEET Az) Filed Nov. 19, 1948 .JN nlllllhrlh.

I llllx "null l l 5 ido Patented Jan. 1, 1 952 Glitiilitcr-- sUsPENDnIr STAIR Benjamin Je 'll-rilleirfl Dubuque. Iorvai. assignee: tm

Earlexf 8a. Loetschen Manufacturing; Cullmann. DuhueileLlowa,aveorporationoflowa.. A

'Ifnet invention. relatesi oi stairsv generally; and more` particularly.l tot oeilingrsuspended retreat@ ableelon disappearring?l stairs:`

Ones. object-r. off the,J invention; is: toi. provide.; anlmproved' stair.l ofi the; above-f. generali character which isrsizrong:` andirigidiyet; ligntiinweight and easy.: tot operate between.- opein and*x closed posie tions, and which requires a mininnirn.offover.-V head2 andi lateral: clearance in. its; moven'ientl;v to the closed, or: up 'position Another objectiisltoiprovide improvedoountere balancezmechanism. for ceiling-suspended stairs Whichgs-zsimple andfineiepensivef tozmanufaoture, easy to installand efficientiandreliablezin;oper-- 831210112..

A1. further object:` is. to provide any improved handrail construction; for ceilingfsuspended stairsftvhichL affords. greater safety. in4 the ,user of thestairs". and; which*` minimizesf.- the'V overhead clearance requirements..

It is also an object of the invention-to--previde at stain: utilizingbuilti-up stringere, or,- sidez rails which; can beY constructed; of inexpensive and; readilyy availabley stock and which is.; substanf tiallyfasstrong and'durable =aszthef=more .expensive f onefpiez@l construction heretofore employed.

Qthergobjects andadvantages of the inventionwilli become. apparent from'. the 'following -detailed description of the preferred embodiment illust tratedf :in i theaccompanying; drawings, in: which ligure'-x 1' is: a; perspectivel. view-f of: af.. ceilingsuspended; stairi embodyingthea. featuresof.: the invention, thestair being shown-in the-operative or; downlposition F'igr.l is at longitudinal'. sectional'i vievv.v of-the stain'takem in a planezsubstantially.: on'. the line Zf-ZL-offFigzl Eig.` 3a'is-ef.transversesectionalviewttlirouelfiloney of the side rails of the stair takenin a plane=suh-... starrtiallwon-the-.linei-e-S: off Eig: 1`

4111s asectionahvievt takenflin aaplaneisubf.

stantiaflly. onztnegline: 41-4 ofEigr. 1, snowing: de? tailszofthe;handraiLsupnQrt;

Eig. -lisfa sectionalvieiv taken ixraplanerst-ib:

While..r thee invention is. susceptibles off various: modications, andi alternative:1 construetione; I havshown'; in; thef,` drawingse and; willv herein); dern scribe im detail tne-V preferred embodiment, but; itlisto be: understoodethat I; do,- not; thereby.

tend; to.; limit? the.- invention` to;-l they speciiic. i ,K

disolosedi. but, intend;- tol erover-*al1 .modifications andr alternativefl constructions; fla-lling Within: thev spirit and scope of theinventionsasexpressed, in thefanpended claims. l

2.; Eonpurnoseszofillustrationi,theziinprovedstair;

indicated; generally acti.; 9.-,1 has; beeni showinin:h a:

form; particularly suitable: fur: use Qrldlla;

homes or. residentiab buildings. td. provides. accese providingA headers I4' forsuppertingthe endsiof the 'f remaining Vioistzsectionsa The opening. may.;v

be iramed-f with'f conventionalA trimil 5.2 andi ai cioe sure panell I6 ofanytpreferredeonstructiongisesee. curecl'tothe header: I tationeffend offthe opening by hinges II to swing between open and closed-v positions.

Referring fnow I to Figs. 1fandi2fof`triedravvingsi.r thea' improved* stair-eomprisesfgenerally f azpaiiie of elongated? stringere-'or sideA rails;v 20 and dis posed;A in spaced? paralleli relation and supporting a plurality-'ofi stair treadsI 221.. 'A liandraili'Z-i's carriedl oni one off 'thel sideI rails for the@ conven-= ience and safetyfof-I personsiusingv tlie-stain- When-positioned ferfuse, the? stairi-ssupported on its upper-l end4 a? pair'fvo'i rollers? 2=5 spaced apart` forv cooperation vvitlfi guiolevv-eavs'f-or` tracksv on` theside rails 211.1j and? 2 'I-g, to be i desoribed 'pres`` entlyr' Asherein shown, tlife-lrollersrv aref-journaledfl on brackets 2% anchored-to the floor# pow' tion` I 3 oi-t tliepartit-ion H arl-jacent'theendl-of the' stairopeningat;wliielr the-panel I iishin'gbedf In the i;rese.nt-'instent;,theebraclretsnrojeetioutL wardly over theopeningand are spaced upwardly' fromtlieiiQor `Iiso.thatgtiie ,st-airliner heel l eiidvvise.` upwardly, tlironelrtlieopening.. and.- en

swingbllt; the axisfoithe roliersto.alhorizontalv retracted.. position. Atitslower.. endif the.. stair.. is adapted t0.rest..on..the.oon I3a and.the -side.rails are out oi to, provide bearing;l surfaees, parallel to. theoor.. when, the. stair. isl mythe. lower-dirait.

positionshowlninligst xl, endl The.. rollers 25. support; and.;l guide. thestain 9.-

in; it .ii-Ward, movement. to; retreotedtpesitioni Add nareuidancelisffp idee by pairrof rollers-2. ,.'oiirnaledronz-br etsicarred hinged, closuregpanel-a 15e,- {Iihese reilersi ar cated;` adjacent. the free. endA` ofi. tnef panel., an areisnaced apartflaterallntogcamerate-with.- he: euideways or,A traoksfzorifthesiegril eflld .kif

so that the panel is constrained to swing as a unit with the stair structure.

In accordance with the usual practice, provision is made for counterbalancing the weight of the stair structure so that it can be moved between operative and retracted positions with a minimum of eifort. The counterbalancing mechanism provided by the instant invention is characterized by its simple construction and by the facility with which it may be installed, both of which contribute to the low over-all cost of the stair. To this end the counterbalancing means comprises two independently operating spring means, one ating directly on the stair to exert a continuous upwardly-directed endwise pull thereon and the other acting on the closure panel I6 tending to urge it toward the closed position.

The spring means acting directly on the stair preferably comprises a spring-actuated cable drum 30 (Fig. 5) journaled within a housing 3i rigidly secured to the inner face of one of the side rails of the stair, in this instance the. rail 2l.' A flexible cable 32 of wire or other suitable material is anchored at one end to the drum 30 and at the other end to the partition l i between the closure panel i6 and the roller-supporting bracket 26. As shown in Figs. l and 2, the cable may be anchored to the header i4 by means of a simple screw hook 33.

In the particular stair structure illustrated, the

' drum 30 is provided with a rigid, axially alined hub 34 around which is wound a torsion spring 35. One end of the spring is secured to the housing 3| and the other to the drum 30, the

arrangement being such that the unwinding of the cable 32 from the drum acts to tension the spring. The spring thus operates through the cable to exert a continuous upward pull on the stair. l

The spring means acting on the panel I6 in n tically when the stair is in the operative or ,down position. These connections may be made by means of simple hooks 31 screwed into the joists I2 at the sides of the stair opening and similar hooks screwed into the closure panel.

It will be evident that the counterbalancing mechanism above described can be installed and adjusted for operation very quickly and with a minimum of labor. The housing 3l for the cable drum 30 and its associated spring 35 may be attached to the side rail at the factory and the installer is only required -to insert the screw hook 33 and hook the end of the cable 32 thereover. Likewise, attachment of the panel counterbalance springs 36 involves only the insertion ofthe screw hooks 31. The tension of the spring 35 may be readily adjusted by varying the number of turnsA of the cable 32 around the drum 30 before attaching the cable to the screw hook. In practice, this spring is usually tensioned so that the stair will remain in its operative or down position, but may be shifted upwardly by a relatively light push' until the overhang at the upper end substantially balances 'the structure for pivotal movement about the common axis of the rollers 25. The springsl then act to swing the panel I6 to the closed position, the stair swinging with it as a unit to fully retracted position.

To afford maximum safety in the use of the stair and at the same time maintain overhead clearance requirements at a minimum, the handrail 23 is mounted in a novel manner which permits it to be extended substantially beyond the upper end of the stair when the latter is in operative position and to be withdrawn flush with the top of the' stair when the latter is to be swung into its retracted position. In the exemplary stair structure the handrail 23 comprises an elongated narrow wood strip and is carried by a pair of upstanding brackets 40 attached by screws or the like to the side rail 2|, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Each bracket is provided 'at its upper end with a laterally-projecting headed pin or rivet 4I and the handrail 23 is formed with elongated longitudinally-extending slots 42 for the reception of the pins. These slots are located and dimensioned to permit movement of the handrail between the retracted position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and the extended position shown in broken lines in that figure. A

...p hook member 43 pivotally supported on one of the brackets 40 is adapted to coact with a pin 44 on the handrail to releasably latch the rail in extended position.

The handrail 23 when extended provides a convenient and safe hold for a person near or at the top of the stair and thus affords maximum safety in ascending or descending the same. When retracted the upperend of the handrail is substantially flush with the upper end of the stair so that no additional overhead clearance is required for its accommodation a5 the stair is shifted endwise and rocked to retracted position. Thus, the safety factor of the stair isl materially increased without restricting its adaptability for use in spaces presenting relatively small overhead or lateral clearance.

Provision is made for releasably latching the stair structure in retracted position to prevent accidental lowering ci the same. Such latching is effected in the present instance by a hook-like latch member 45 (Figs. L3) pivotally supported on one of the roller brackets 2B for cooperation with a latch pin 46 projecting from the side rail While the side rails 20 and 2| may be madeof any suitable material, the present invention contemplates a built-up or composite type of rail which can be constructed of relatively inexpeik` sive and readily available stock and which, While light in weight, is very strong and rigid. As herein shown, each side rail comprises an elongated Webbing Strip 41 made up of a plurality of thin strips (two in this instance) of Presdwood or the like.

The strip 45 is reinforced at its upper edge by an elongated wood strip 48 of generally rectangular cross section and of substantially the same length as the webbing strip 41. These elements are preferably assembled with the upper edge portion of the webbing strip seated in a longitudinally extending groove in the lower face of the reinforcing strip 48 and are secured together as by gluing. Additional reinforcement for the Webbing strip 41 is provided by an elongated wood strip 49 secured to the outer facing of the webbing strip 41 in spaced parallel relation to the edge strip 48. The inner faces of the strips 48 'and 49 thus dene'the guideway or track for the rollers 25 and 21, as shown in Fig. 3. Secured to the inner face of the webbing strip 41 adjacent its lower edge is an elongated stop strip 50 which serves as a rest for the rear edges of the stair treads 22 when they are assembled with the side rail. To support their forward edges, the treads are fitted into transverse grooves formed in the inner face of the top edge strip 48, as shown in Fig. 3. These grooves are disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the side rail so as to locate the stair treads in vertically stepped horizontal planes when the stair is in the operative position.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides a ceiling-suspended retractable or disappearing stair of novel and advantageous construction. The weight of the stair structure is reduced to a minimum by the use of built-up or composite side rails of novel construction without sacrifice of either strength orrigidlty. The light weight of the stair structure facilitates its movement between operative and retracted positions and such movement is further facilitated by the novel counterbalance means employed. This counterbalance means aords additional advantages by reason of its simple and inexpensive construction and by the ease with which it may be installed. Additional1y,the improved support whch allows the handrail to be extended beyond the upper end of thestair and to be retracted substantially flush therewith renders the stair safer to use without increasing overhead clearance requirements.

I claim as my invention:

1. A ceiling-suspended stair comprising, in combination, a pair of spaced parallel side rails, stair treads supported between said side rails, an elongated handrail, means including a plurality of brackets mounted on one of said side rails supporting said handrail for endwise movement between an operative position in which its upper end projects beyond the corresponding end of said one side rail and a retracted position in which its upper end is substantially flush with that end of the side rail, and latch means for releasably retaining said handrail in operative position.

2. A stair for providing access to an opening in an overhead partition, said stair comprising a pair of elongated side rails supporting a plurality of stair treads, means supporting and guiding said stair for endwise sliding movement through the opening and for pivotal movement to a retracted position above' the opening, aridiv an elongated handrail extending parallel to andfadjustably supported on one of said side rails, 'said handrail normally extending beyond the upper end of the stair and being shiftable endwise to locate its upper end substantially iiush With-the upper end of the stair whereby to minimizei'the overhead clearance requirements of the rail fin the movement of the stair'to retracted position.

3. A ceiling-suspended# stair comprisirig--f in combination, a pair of spaced parallel sidefrails. stair treads supported between said side railsj an elongated handrail, means supporting saidfhandrail above and in parallel. relation to one sfaid side rails, said supportingA means including'upright metal brackets A'mounted on and projecting upwardly from said one side rail, each of said brackets having a laterally projectingfpin adjacent its upper end, said handrail being formed with longitudinally disposed slots for the reception of said pins, said slots being located so as vtofpermit endwise movement of the handrail between an operative position in which its upper end projects beyond the upper end of said one side rail and a retracted position in which its upperend is substantially ilush with the upper end of the side rail, and latch means for releasably retaining said handrail in operative position.-V

BENJAMIN J. TRILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 50,894 Bond Nov. 14, -1865 121,190 Oakley Nov. 21, 1871 1,737,799 Loetscher Dec. 3, 1929 1,936,929 Bessler Nov. 28, 1933 

